Spell Shocked
by pagerunner
Summary: Sometimes good things crop up at the strangest times. Like... after your cat turns into a six-foot rage demon. A little story set back in the Ferelden Circle, featuring Anders, Karl, the remarkable death of Mr. Wiggums, and the aftermath thereof...


Karl was the first one to find him after the templars died, while Anders was still stuck between horror and hysterical laughter.

A possessed cat was really not something you saw every day, even in a place like the Circle Tower where the bizarre was commonplace. Anders hadn't even had any idea that cats _could_ be possessed. Humans were an endlessly tempting target for demons, of course: they were clever, adaptable, capable of all sorts of creative cruelty all on their own, let alone with supernatural help. But cats, now… what could a demon do with a cat?

Well. Quite a bit, as it turned out.

Anders shook his head, picturing the day's carnage, then turned with greater deliberation, for he'd heard something. Footsteps. He tried to crane his neck enough to see who it was. From his seat on the floor, with his back against a cabinet in the healers' storage room, all he could see was half a silhouette. He warily pulled his feet in, but it wasn't enough to hide him entirely. "Anders?" he heard.

At least he knew the voice. The tension went out of his limbs again, enough that he could lean forward and see more closely. It was one of the other mages who'd found him, one who'd passed his Harrowing a couple months before if Anders recalled right. They'd spoken a few times and Anders had been impressed from what he'd seen of his healing skills, but they didn't know each other well yet. Still, at least Anders knew his name. "Karl. I-"

Karl lifted his eyebrows. "You're hiding, aren't you?"

He was: hiding from the templars, who might be looking for somewhere to point the blame. Anders answered a little warily. "You were… looking for me?"

"Actually, no," Karl said, his voice wry. "I got sent to pick up some supplies for the fourth templar, the one who survived… I assume you've heard?"

He was pointing at bandages. Anders made a face, one which felt rather strange. It was part grimace, part laugh, part something that felt like his eyes were burning and his throat was too tight. Karl noticed it right away. "Are you all right?"

Anders turned aside sharply. "You've got a healing job on your hands. Don't worry about…."

"I doubt that's your main concern," Karl said. "I know you're no fan of the templars."

"Who is?" Anders said bitterly.

Karl stepped in a litle further. Anders blinked hard and glanced toward the door. Karl had shut it on his way in, and they were alone in here. He took a deep, shaky breath and leaned his head back, shutting his eyes. He didn't have anything to worry about from Karl, he knew that much. From what Anders remembered, the other mage was kind, quiet, and could actually be diplomatic enough to speak out against Circle injustices _without_ getting himself tossed into solitary. Karl was as safe a companion as he was likely to get just now. So Anders found himself speaking, wisely or not.

"I can't believe there's three dead," Anders said. "And because of my cat - well, not _my_ cat, but…"

Karl shrugged, as if to say he understood. It was generally known by now that Anders was fond of cats, and he was sure he'd been seen with the mouser in question more than once, no matter how discreet he'd tried to be.

"I didn't plan it," Anders said, leaping to self-defense out of sheer habit. "Wasn't my idea. I wasn't even there when Mr. Wiggums got possessed - I swear, I _would_ have done something."

Karl's lip twitched. "Mr…. Wiggums?"

"Well, someone had to name him," Anders said grumpily. "Trust the templars to get a cat and just call it _cat_ and probably kick it around when they get bored. At least I cared." He flinched suddenly and rubbed his nose. Karl sat down beside Anders and leaned against a crate. "But when I went to find him today I knew something was wrong. He wasn't in the normal places, and something _felt_ nasty about it, like something unnatural had been there. Something that made my teeth itch."

"So you followed the traces…."

"And found Mr. Wiggums grown to six feet tall," Anders said, "blazing like a rage demon and chomping on Ser Sidney's head."

And there came that giggle, that wildly inappropriate, would-get-him-dismembered-if-the-templars-heard-it giggle, the one born of watching his beloved kitty turn avenging demon and start snacking on his jailers and tormentors. The poetic justice of it had truly been something, and that something, although he'd never admit it in public, was brutally hilarious. "The damned demon still had Mr. Wiggums' bell on," Anders said, his voice strained, while he scratched at his own neck where the collar would have been. "A _bell._ Didn't do much to warn the templars away, now did it…."

There came a small, similarly choked sound. Anders looked at Karl, expecting revulsion, and there may have been _some_ of that in his expression, but there was… something of a laugh in it, too. "Oh, Maker," Karl breathed.

"They got the demon," Anders went on, weirdly reassured by Karl's response. "Of course they did, they had to. I… I didn't help; I got shooed out of there, just barely saw the end of it, but… there wasn't much left, after. Three men dead, and…" He hauled in a breath. "The cat, too, naturally. The demon pretty much used him up. Poor Mr. Wiggums."

There was a moment of silence, maybe in disbelief that Anders would express concern for the cat first, but then Karl said, "I'm sorry. I'm sure it was all a shock."

"That's one way to put it." He rubbed his chest again; it felt too tight. He felt like he had to explain himself somehow, but he wasn't sure where to begin. "Have you ever seen anything like that?"

"No."

"Neither have I. And I've seen a lot." Anders shook his head. "But I just watched a demon take three men to pieces, and I should not be wanting to make _jokes_ about it, but death by _cat_ - the mighty templars, felled by kitty rage…." He laughed again, openly this time, but it was weary. "Three templars, one of whom beat Sophie just last week, little innocent Sophie, and there was _no_ reason. He deserved what he got and I'm not sorry."

Karl reached out, touched his shoulder. Anders shut his eyes and kept searching for words. "But after all of this… people died, I know I should have better priorities, yet…."

"You're crying."

"My _cat_, damn it," Anders said, and his eyes opened again. Sure enough, a tear streaked hotly down one cheek. "I miss my cat more than anything. What does _that_ say about me?"

Something like a smile passed over Karl's face, something wry and rueful but true. "You're human."

Anders let his head thunk back against the cabinet and swiped his cheek dry. "Not like we get treated like it in here," he said. "They'll probably try to blame me for it. It _wasn't_ my fault…."

Karl sighed, and watched Anders take in a deep, painful breath of his own. Finally he said, "Here. You're too tense." Before Anders could even react, Karl's hand moved to his chest. Anders blinked, then gasped, as a healing spell unlike any he'd ever felt rushed into his body, like light and air filling him throughout. He held his breath and felt the power buzz within him. "Now let it out," Karl said. Anders did. Everything poured out on the exhale, leaving him lightheaded and loose, and his head rang, but not unpleasantly. Light clouded the air before his mouth like steam on a cold day. Anders stared in some amazement until it faded.

"What was _that?_" Anders said, between slow, only-slightly-gleaming breaths; they were coming easier now. "I mean - thank you, but…. how did that work? I've never…."

"It's a muscle relaxant, first of all," Karl said, which was evidently true. It felt like he'd been completely unwound throughout. "Pain relief, too."

Anders stretched out his tingling fingers and watched them move. It was a simple thing, but felt strangely wondrous. Everything did, suddenly. "It's better than just that," Anders murmured. "If you could bottle this feeling, you'd make a fortune."

"I doubt that's what the Circle would suggest…."

"Screw the Circle."

Karl's mouth quirked. "One at a time, or all of them collectively? Could get… complicated."

Anders let out a bark of surprised laughter. He sat up, fuzzily studying his companion. "You really are a man of hidden qualities."

"I suppose." Karl offered a smile. "As for that spell… I could teach you sometime."

Anders thought of the possibilities. The slightly-spinny room seemed to brighten. "I think I'd like that."

"We healers ought to stick together, after all," Karl agreed. "I know you're one of our best."

Anders flushed. He wasn't normally one to demur at praise, but something about Karl making such a compliment caught him off guard, made him almost… tingly. But it must have been the lingering effect of the spell. Probably. He tried to cover it up with a crooked smile. "And in return, I can give you some escape tips….."

Karl laughed. "Now that would be interesting."

"Oh, you have _no_ idea," Anders said, waggling his eyebrows and leaning conspiratorially close before his thoughts started catching up with him. Something about this was slightly strange, and it _wasn't_ only from the healing spell….

For one thing, he realized, Karl was still touching him.

He glanced down, watching his own chest rise and fall. Karl's hand still rested with pleasant warmth on the left side. "Um," Anders said, trying to focus. There had to be a reason for Karl to still be there… "Is my heartbeat back to normal, then?"

Karl coughed as if he'd been caught at something. His fingers curled back up against his palm. "Yes. Sorry."

"No, that's all right… I mean-"

They both looked up at the same time. They were sitting very close to each other, Anders thought, and there was an unexpected sense of anticipation to the moment. Healing power could be a deeply intimate thing, but this was something more. There was absolutely tension in the air, of a more interesting kind than Karl had just tried to fix.

Much, _much_ more interesting.

_Another man?_ Anders thought briefly - he'd only ever seriously flirted with girls before, and there was nothing at _all_ wrong with that experience - but his hesitation didn't last. This felt just as good, just as tempting, as the rest. And ever since that prank a few weeks ago where he'd kissed Tobias, he'd wondered if it might work for real….

Why _not_ try? He could always blame the spell later.

Karl murmured his name again, but by then Anders had curled his fingers around the back of Karl's collar. This was, he had to admit, a little crazy - impulsive and fast and he was still off-kilter in all sorts of ways - but Karl didn't stop him as Anders tugged him closer. In fact, he looked intrigued. And if Anders' heartbeat had been normal a few moments ago, it certainly wasn't now….

"Might want to check that again," Anders murmured.

Karl tilted his head, his mouth slightly open as if to speak - or possibly do something more. And there, poised at kissing distance, Anders waited to see who would close the gap. In the end it was both of them, leaning in at the same instant to just barely, barely touch. Anders eased his mouth over Karl's, letting their lips meet long enough to be able to tell that oh, yes, this would _absolutely_ work, this would be _brilliant_ and really kind of perfect -

Karl made a soft noise when they both withdrew.

For a moment after, neither of them dared move. They still sat so close that Anders was breathing warmly against Karl's cheek and ruffling his hair. The closeness felt… awfully good. Karl was reacting slowly, still surprised by all this, but he was touching Anders again, and in fact his hand was sliding down to wrap around his hip. It might have been meant to push him back, but he didn't do that. "Anders," he said again, trying to get hold of the situation. "You're…. a little spell-shocked, aren't you?"

Anders' whole body had warmed at the way Karl's voice had lowered and roughened. "Maybe," he said. His lips brushed the stubble on Karl's jaw. "Maybe not."

Karl's eyes flickered closed and he breathed in deeply. Then he guided Anders back enough to get a good look at his face. Color had risen in Karl's own, and his eyes moved rapidly back and forth, not settling until he seemed to remember something. He looked a little regretful. "I do have to go," he said. "I've been in here too long. The… templar."

"Right," Anders said, feeling a smidge of disappointment. "Our darling patient."

"They _will_ notice if I don't get back soon."

Anders made a face, silently acknowledging his point.

"Still-" Karl hesitated. His hand brushed Anders', and the soft friction of skin on skin made them both catch their breath. Karl let the touch linger, then visibly came to a decision. "We should meet later. Here, maybe. Seems private enough-"

Anders hummed a low, intrigued sound. "Private."

"-to… see about all this. To be sure."

And that, Anders thought, was more like it. "Definitely best to be sure," Anders said, smiling slightly - and he let his hand nudge Karl's thigh when he moved. "Might have to test it under all sorts of conditions."

Karl _really_ blushed then, to Anders' amusement. "Oh, you _are_ trouble," he said.

Anders smirked. "I try."

Karl returned the gesture, then got reluctantly to his feet. After a disoriented moment or two, he snatched up the bandages he'd pointed out before. He spent a few seconds juggling everything into place in his hands before he said, "I'll tell them, by the way."

"Who, the templars? Tell them what?"

"That you weren't responsible for the attack. They ought to believe me if I account for you."

Anders blinked. Standing up for him to the templars was serious business indeed. "Thank you."

Karl made a gesture to brush that off. Then he paused, looking slantwise at Anders as he put a shoulder to the door to push it open. "It's more selfish than anything," Karl said, sounding surprisingly arch. "I wouldn't want you to have to escape again too soon, after all."

And if Anders weren't truly losing his mind, Karl actually _winked._

"I'll be here at dusk," he said. Then he turned and quietly left.

Anders sat there for a long time after the door closed, just letting himself feel the pleasant rush of the spell and the kiss itself, both sensations still shimmering under his skin. "Well," he breathed, lightly touching his mouth. "That was… unexpected."

Then after a minute he smiled. Of all the things to come of such a mad event… three templars were out of his hair in one fell swoop, and now possibly he had an intriguing new… _friend_ to boot?

Maybe it wasn't so bad having a demon on your side, after all.

"Thanks, Mr. Wiggums," he said. And as he raised his hand in an imaginary toast to the fallen, he started, with no regrets, to laugh.


End file.
